Muskego (22-12) won the State Summer Baseball Tournament championship with a 2-1, eight-inning victory over Pius XI Catholic in the title game at Kapco Park in Mequon, Wis., Friday evening.

Frankie Cistaro singled through the middle of the infield to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Warriors, scoring pinch-runner Richard Wauer from second with two outs. They scored a run to tie the game at 1-1 earlier in inning on a squeeze bunt that scored Cooper Tamblyn, who doubled and went to third on a wild pitch.

The Popes had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Gino D’Alessio, scoring Reyshawn Spewer, who singled earlier in the inning.

Starters TJ Driver and Jacob Leszczynski hooked up in a classic pitchers’ duel for the Popes and Warriors, respectively. They both tossed five shutout innings before giving way to the bullpens. Driver scattered five hits, and Leszczynski allowed just one hit.

Tamblyn was the only player to produce multiple hits in the game for Muskego with two of the Warriors’ seven hits. Wil Martinez led the Popes on offense with two singles, and Spewer had the only other hit for Pius XI. 

Zach Schulz was credited with the victory in three innings of relief for Muskego, surrendering one run on two hits. D’Alessio was charged with the loss, yielding two runs on one hit and two walks.

Muskego wins the program’s first championship in its fifth appearance in the State tournament, and Pius XI (30-4) finishes runner-up in its second experience at State.

Muskego advanced to the final following a 1-0 victory over Plymouth in the semifinals earlier in the day. Rob Zolecki tossed only the fifth no-hitter in tournament history, while Wes Kwapick produced the only run of the game on the only hit of the game, a triple in the third inning. The Popes advanced to the title game with a 6-2 win over Menomonee Falls in the semifinals.

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